A small hempcrete cabin iceland project is designed to prove a larger point. Its architects want to show that local materials and site-specific methods can outperform the standard approach to construction in the country.
The project, called Biobuilding, was created by the studio Lúdika, based in Reykjavik. Anna Karlsdóttir and Jan Dobrowolski founded the practice, which describes itself as emerging.
Iceland has a precedent to build on. Builders have long used local natural building materials, most visibly in the traditional turf houses.
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Putting the hempcrete design to the test
A demonstrator built on family land
Biobuilding started with a relocation. Karlsdóttir and Dobrowolski moved from London to Iceland and found a construction industry built on concrete and imports, according to the architects.
“Around 80 per cent of buildings here are concrete, and almost all building materials are imported,” the architects said. “An opportunity arrived at the same time. Industrial hemp cultivation had been legalised earlier that year, and the first growing trials were successful.”
The pair began researching hempcrete, a biocomposite based around the hemp plant. They saw a path to use hemp grown at Sandhóll, on the island nation. They built on a family-owned plot in Grímsnes, a verdant area, and treated the hempcrete cabin iceland project as a demonstrator for their experiments.
The team included growers, researchers, engineers and craftspeople. A group of German journeymen, travelling on their traditional wanderings, helped with construction.
Two years of monitoring
Completing the building was only the first step. The architects also tracked how it performed after handover.
They monitored the cabin for two years and carried out a life cycle assessment. The architects say the work shows “what is possible, and also what stands in the way.” Current regulations and certification rules, they argue, are prohibitive and need to change.
“To us the building is also a sáluhús, a house for the soul,” the architects said.
Local parts, deliberate design
Across the project, the hempcrete core sits alongside other locally sourced and custom-made components. Textile designer Alberte Bojesen worked with the team to produce internal window screens from Icelandic seaweed.
Glulam beams support the structure. The foundation footings were prefabricated off-site. The build also uses solid timber joinery, lime plaster, limewash and wool.
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The design draws on Japanese teahouses, which the architects describe as small, humble and connected to the land. Views from inside are framed. Windows look low toward the mossy ground and the mountains in one direction, and open toward a wooded area in the other.
The architects guided the project by three principles: a light touch on the site, natural and local materials where practical, and honest, unfussy craftsmanship.
Next steps
The architects expect Biobuilding to serve as a case study for hempcrete construction in Iceland and elsewhere. They will continue to measure temperature and relative humidity inside the cabin. The data will show where adjustments, challenges and opportunities lie.
Their findings will go into a final report for Askur, Iceland’s Housing and Construction Research Fund. The report will set out the team’s findings.
Source: wallpaper.com
Frequently asked questions
Who designed the Biobuilding hempcrete cabin in Iceland?
The Biobuilding cabin was created by the Reykjavik-based studio Lúdika. Anna Karlsdóttir and Jan Dobrowolski founded the practice, which describes itself as emerging.
Where was the hemp for the Biobuilding cabin grown and built?
The hemp used in the project was grown at Sandhóll. The cabin was built on a family-owned plot in Grímsnes, a verdant area.
How long did the architects monitor the Biobuilding cabin after completion?
The architects monitored the cabin for two years after handover and carried out a life cycle assessment. They also continue to measure temperature and relative humidity inside the cabin.
What materials besides hempcrete were used in the Biobuilding cabin?
The build also used locally sourced and custom-made components, including internal window screens made from Icelandic seaweed and glulam beams. It also used solid timber joinery, lime plaster, limewash, and wool.
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